St-Pierre earlier this month decided to vacate the UFC welterweight title he’s held since 2008. After wins in 11 straight title fights (including an interim one before taking back the undisputed crown), GSP stepped away from the sport indefinitely.

He may come back, he may wind up being retired. But whatever he decides, fellow welterweight Ellenberger (29-7 MMA, 8-3 UFC) believes those who were in an uproar over his decision need to slow their roll.

“It was definitely surprising,” Ellenberger recently told MMAjunkie Radio. “(But) I was surprised at how much grief he got. People need to cut him some slack. You see how dominant he was for as long as he was. If there’s anybody who should be able to take a break, I think he should be able to.”

“Rush” walked away with a 25-2 overall record, and 19-2 in the UFC. But even as one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history, and as what UFC President Dana White has repeatedly said is the company’s biggest pay-per-view draw and highest-paid fighter, St-Pierre said he wanted to focus on his personal life for a while.

He refused to cite just what the issues are outside of the cage. But Ellenberger believes we likely have seen the last of the French-Canadian.

“To be honest, I don’t think he’s going to fight again,” Ellenberger said. “Who knows – he might. But whatever it is, it’s something outside that’s big enough distraction mentally that he’s got to take a break. But it opens up a lot of doors at the same time.”

Ellenberger still is looking for his next fight. He was hoping to draw Carlos Condit on that same card on March 15. But Condit will meet Tyron Woodley in the co-main event. That leaves precious few options for Ellenberger in terms of potential opponents high up in the rankings.

In the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, No. 2 Hendricks and No. 11 Lawler are booked. No. 3 Condit meets Honorable Mention Woodley. No. 4 Nick Diaz is retired. No. 5 Rory MacDonald, who beat Ellenberger in July, is booked to meet No. 8 Demian Maia. At No. 6, Ellenberger’s only option in the Top 10 is Matt Brown, who is on the shelf following an injury that knocked him out of a planned fight with Condit.

But while he waits to hear what’s next, Ellenberger said the new title fight between Hendricks, who most observers believe beat St-Pierre in November, and Lawler, who knocked off MacDonald that same night in a big upset, is a worthwhile matchup.

“It’s always subjective. You can always argue yes and no,” Ellenberger said. “But Robbie’s in the right place at the right time – that’s what it comes down to. He’s coming off three wins, and it couldn’t have been at a better time. There are a lot of people who could be in that position, but I don’t think it’s unjust that he should be fighting for a title. … They’re definitely two of the top guys.”

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, MMAjunkie lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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